4 arrested in Kolhapur for carrying out illegal sex determination

Kolhapur: The police have arrested four people, allegedly caught red-handed conducting illegal prenatal sex determination, and suspect their involvement in facilitating illegal abortions.

A portable sonography machine and abortion pills, collectively worth Rs 9.8 lakh, were seized during the raid.The arrests followed a joint operation by the police and health department after investigators connected leads from previous cases. Acting on information that Anil Tipugade, a resident of Bhogawati in Karvir tehsil, was conducting illegal sex determination tests, authorities deployed a decoy pregnant woman and her relatives, including activist Geeta Hasurkar, to verify the allegations.According to the police, Tipugade allegedly told the decoy’s relatives that he charged Rs 20,000 for determining the sex of a foetus using a portable sonography machine and an additional Rs 15,000 for terminating the pregnancy through medication.“The accused asked the decoy and her relatives to arrive at a small room in the quarters of a sugar factory. After we reached the spot, we found the sonography machine and the abortion pills, overall worth Rs 9.8 lakh. Along with Tipugade, there were other people present — Mahesh Patil (35), Sunil Patil (38), and Shrimant Tanaji Patil (37). We believe that these people are the agents who bring the pregnant women to Tipugade on commission basis,” said inspector Sushant Chavan, of the Kolhapur local crime branch.

All four men were arrested.